Afro-Caribbean Dance Healing System: Connection. Meaning. Power.
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- Опубліковано 28 сер 2024
- ""Through extensive research and wonderful collaborations with other community healers, I have concluded that Afro-Caribbean dance provides access to four levels of empowerment: The Self-Body Power, The Collective Power, The Socio-Political Power, and the Spiritual Power... Within Afro-Caribbean dance traditions, symbolic imagery is evoked by the embodiment of forces of nature, or themes of struggle, revolution, liberation, pride, and celebration... By making the commitment to understand how social and political systems influence our clients’ life, then we begin advocating for a culture of visibility, inclusion, and equality." - Maria E. Rivera, MS, MA, BC-DMT, LCAT
To learn more about dance/movement therapy, please visit www.adta.org
About the speaker:
Maria E. Rivera (Mara) MS, MA, BC-DMT, LCAT was born and raised in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. She currently works as a dance/movement therapist and educator in New York and has acquired extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults with severe mental disorders and emotional disturbances. She is also dancer, choreographer, and songwriter working independently and most recently with Afro-Inspira, Legacy Women, and Ase Dance Theatre Collective. Maria has also traveled to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Haiti to research traditional dance forms, which have highly contributed to her belief in cultural dances and rituals as healing tools. Her current research involves promoting the Afro-Caribbean Dance Healing System as a comprehensive treatment approach in the work with diverse communities, especially communities of color. Currently, Maria serves as the Afro-Latino Director of the Black American and African Descendants Affinity Group within the ADTA's Multicultural Diversity Committee. Maria is very passionate and committed to create bridges between dance/movement therapy and Afro-Centric holistic values.
I love this direct method of healing, using and honoring culture to bring power, community, and self-love to the present self. Rivera is "helping the self to deconstruct the post-narrative and reconstruct the real one." Her goal is to establish love for oneself and refusal of preconceived weakness. Rivera utilizes historical traditions, that is still relevant today, to heal and empower her patients. This healing is essential for not only therapy, but survival from forces of oppression against people of color.
Dance Therapy - The imagery behind each movement is very beautiful and powerful. This video shows a great message and very emoting.
Thank you for a beautiful cultural speech. I am also someone who comes from a very traditional culture, where we also have traditional dances. The purpose of traditional dances began with the goal of preserving the culture, but at one point it can also help preserve one's own identity. Helping them to rediscover themselves, as well as allowing them to have fun with their movements. Seeing dance as a spiritual blessing and allowing them to cope with something beautiful from their culture instead of the torment that they went through with their living lifestyle.
I appreciate your comments on cultural dance. I also like your comment that it can help one rediscover themselves. I think it is really helpful to be able to do something that reminds you of who you are and what your roots are.
Maria's approach to working with people of color to reconnect them to their strength and health through Afro-Caribbean dance is a great example of using a strength-based approach. She highlights the specific movements in this dance form that portray strength, grounding, and connection to others. Maria also emphasizes the historical significance of song, music, and dance in giving a voice to communities of color and bringing healing to their culture, especially during times of oppression.
The importance of song, music, and dance in the lives of communities of color is particularly relevant in the context of ongoing oppression and the mental turmoil it brings. The speaker draws from their personal experience in African dance to highlight the spirituality and cultural meaning embedded in this art form. They suggest that integrating dance therapy with Afro-Caribbean culture could be an effective approach to healing and self-awareness. The talk concludes with a powerful message about the connection, meaning, and power inherent in collective expression through Afro-Caribbean dance. The speaker's use of short but captivating movements depicting liberation and ties to the wind and rivers reinforces the transformative potential of this art form beyond dance and into our daily lives.
Being a woman of color, this lecture helped me be seen. I am not of Caribbean descent but just knowing that dance therapist are expanding their practices brings hope to me.
I love that the Afro-Caribbean can help empower communities of color and help stop lack of self-love. This can also help communities of color become educated with the past and help connect them to their culture. I think it is interesting how many different styles of dance can be used to connect to different types of people and people from different backgrounds.
That's a good point. It is commonly thought that certain types of dances mean the same thing for everyone, however in this case, everyone is unique and can use it to connect with their individual self and culture
Enjoyed this soothing and well put-together ADTA talk. I especially appreciated the perspective from a colored community's point of view of gaining socio-political power through dance, movement and general creative arts therapy.
I have taken African dance of the diaspora before and I agree with the feelings the instructor described about feeling liberation and pride through symbolic meaning during African dance. I feel that dancing in a circle whilst performing Afro-Caribbean dance allows for connection and community. I love how the instructor talked about supporting people's culture through dance movement therapy is something we need to incorporate into the practice in order to help preserve their culture. By incorporating a person's culture and heritage into dance movement therapy, this might help them to face inner emotions and heal through liberation. I loved this talk!
As a woman of color, I felt this video on a different level! Especially when the instructor started to sample some of the dance movements produced a sense of satisfaction and insight to me. I especially liked the quick sustained movements that were connected to the meaning of liberation. Living in a westernized modern world it is easy to forget where you come from and the healing techniques cultures have passed down to each other from generations. Being able to connect to your body is essential to healing all types of mental and even physical trauma. DMT helps to deconstruct what false narrative we have of any situation and rather reconstruct our mindset and life in a beneficial way. Thank you!
I believe it is critical to recognize that everyone has a unique culture, social environment, and political viewpoint. I find it fascinating that she chose to integrate her Caribbean dance skills with Western dance therapy, and that she was able to relate to other people of color as a result. Through the storytelling, Afro-Caribbean song, music, and dance could help people link to their resilient selves and deal with pain. In this video, Maria explains how Afro-Caribbean Dance Therapy can become a particular healing and liberation technique. Therefore we could see that people who have been discriminated against can benefit from dance therapy. Dance has long been employed in African societies to promote cultural pride as well as a feeling of belonging.
Loved this highlight on the importance of cultural competency. Super important that mental health practitioners and Drs of many types are socially and culturally aware. As a trans person I've struggled to find practitioners who are culturally capable. You don't have to hold the same identities as a client, but it's super important like Rivera said, that you be socially, culturally, and politically responsive, and listen to how a client conceptualizes health and well being. Especially appreciated "shifting from a pathological model to a strength based empowerment model" as a practitioner philosophy.
I agree! I think it is extremely important to understand cultural, social, and political differences. I like how she pointed how that this does not mean appropriating a culture, but rather understanding it and its significance to those who are apart of that culture. This isn't a conversation I hear happening very often, but I think it is very important to have!
As someone with previous experience in African dance, I have felt the spirituality of the dance. It does not ask for perfection, like ballet, but rather asks for a total use of body and mind. Every move is filled with cultural meaning, whether it is a dance of sorrow, thanksgiving, or flirtation. It was very healing process to learn about the culture with my body, and it forced me to be much more aware of how I used my body. I think that this type of dance and culture integrated into dance therapy would be so effective, and I loved her approach.
Although the Afro-Caribbean dance is for those within the Afro-Caribbean community, I find it just as empowering understanding behind the movements that Maria showed as examples. Incorporating natural elements such as water, wind, river, fertility, and empowering characteristics such as liberation, strength, and connection, I can see why this specific dance therapy can help overcome cultural, racial, and social biases for those who experience it.
Beautiful.
The four categories of power was a key focus of this video. I appreciated how this speaker connected her cultural background to her clinical training in DMT. She stated that a unique culture can become an outlet of power, and can lead to an environment of inclusion and equality through dance.
Agreed!
I feel a lot about the idea of “occupying one’s body”. Our society rewards cognitive efforts so much that our body awareness is so low, and thus rarely gets the message our body expresses when we crave for a type of food, or when pain or ailments that cannot be explained rises, etc. People are almost never aware that we have a relationship with our body, and fewer are willing to maintain that relationship on good terms. These phenomena are also aligned with the fact that mental disorder patients seem to disassociate more than the past.
Seeing her dance, the liveliness makes me feel happy, festive (?), and relaxed, so I think it could be a great approach even for clients that does not belong to African/Caribbean ethnicity, especially because Afro-Caribbean dances are from ancient times and often expresses nature, with dancers dancing to their heart’s desire and intuition, which may mitigate clients’ tendencies to be self-conscious about their movement.
I am also very moved by how she says that our culture can be a healing power. I never felt particularly connected to my own culture (Asian), but studying abroad in a western country had led me to immediately click and agree to that statement.
I really appreciate the fact that she said song, music and dance have historically given a voice to communities of color. This is so true and relatable for myself. You can clearly see how all three have helped our communities in the times of oppression and bring some sort of healing to our culture that we do it even when times are not rough. Music itself brings a form of healing and can be utilized in ways that are more beneficial than we even know. I can appreciate all of the things she was saying and I know she’s speaking from experience herself. The ongoing oppression on our communities brings a lot of mental turmoil that we can almost appreciate song, music and dance to a higher degree than maybe any other culture or race can. To talk about the importance of all three on a greater scale can bring a new awareness that people weren’t aware of or might just easily dismiss if not put into terms of how beneficial song, music and dance is to communities of color.
I am a dance major iat the University of Wisconsin Madison and I have just began a course where my professor is introducing us to Afro-Caribbean dance. I have found some of the power, imagery, and community that Rivera has discussed in this talk. I am excited to use this new movement knowledge with my dance movement therapy knowlege to attempt to connect to the beautiful experience that Rivera discusses in her talk.
This video first of all is very interesting and the technique of Afro-Caribbean dance is a unique way to use in dance therapy. Especially in the non-verbal aspect it really does help the expression of our inner thoughts to be released and powered through the movements in afro - caribbean dance to be a source of connection into our inner social feelings and a connection into our inner power. This method helps our non verbal communication be understnad in ways that are deeper than just expressions as certain dance movements can be translated in our own personal spirutual power of feeling. This helps understand the application of ones social integration, their well being and the behavior of ones movements. All in ways that are being observed by Afro - carribeans already known dance ovements connecting ones rich cultural heritage to help make an impact tothe four levels of empowerment.
"Dance aesthetics allow the body to occupy itself, defend itself, and liberate itself from repressive ideology". I love this because it is so true! Dancing is an amazing way to remove external influences and express yourself through bodily movements.
The four types of power discussed and how DMT interacts with them was incredibly powerful.
I find the imagery behind each movement to be very beautiful and how there is the power behind each movement in these Afro-Caribean Dances. "You are Beautiful, you are powerful" this is a great message to be emoting.
It is so wonderful how we can connect with these ideologies through movement!
This was a very interesting video and take on DMT. I liked the point she made that dance traditions in the Caribbean are the source and force behind emotional and spiritual nourishment for slave Africans to fight for their freedom. It's interesting that these dance traditions today continue to serve as a collective political strategy. It is fascinating to see that dance and politics can be connected and that power is released in this form.
I also found it interesting and really appreciated that she connected the importance of the history of these movements, to the current availability of the power they hold for continuing liberation from oppression and injustices. This is the first time I have seen someone talk about the direct socio-political implications that dance/movement therapy can have and I feel like it has awakened, at least in me, a broader sense of potential that DMT has for healing.
I think it is really interesting that you pointed about the ability for DMT to serve as a connection between dance and politics. The community basis of this is so important, making those feel like they belong and that they have powerful is so beautiful and DMT helps make that happen.
This is fire 🔥Maria!! Love your hair. Beautiful!!❤😃
Maria brings light to issues of institutionalized racism and various other consequences of psycho social discrimination and oppression. She helps communities of color and other clients who have experienced feelings of shame through dance/movement therapy by helping them feel empowered. reminds me of the power pose for two minutes that can make you feel more powerful. That connects to this video because Maria incorporates powerful and symbolic movements (power poses and liberation gestures) in her dance/movement therapy that her clients can engage in. By doing these powerful movements in a group, it can create a sense of cultural pride. Afro-Caribbean dances let individuals into self-body power, collective power, sociopolitical power, and spiritual power. These four components allow the client to get in tune with their mind and body when they move with intention, therefore liberating their minds from repressive ideology.
Power postures are so amazing. Some of these movements I have never connected with liberation and power, but she is so right!!
What a great example of using a strength based approach, to recognize the health and strength in the people we work with. I love the specific movements from Afro-Caribbean dance and how these portray strength, grounding, connection to others. Maria, I love your approach and your desire to work with people of color to reconnect to their strength and health.
It's really neat that this type of dance movement therapy provides access to the whole spectrum of empowerment: self-body power, collective power, socio-political power, and spiritual power. I feel that that is really unique to access all of this strength and power from within oneself and rebuild it. Afro-Caribbean dance seems very helpful and healthy for the overall body.
"To access the spiritual power is to access the energy that orchestrates everything. And whether the mover believes in it or not, it still exists."
Wow. What a simultaneously beautiful and powerful statement. I appreciate the implications for healing that are contained in bringing to light the availability of this energy system. It offers access to a power which is so frequently denied people facing oppressive conditions and the reassurance that they don't have to be in a place where they believe in it, or themselves, yet to reach it.
I agree with everything you said. I think in addition to offering a power that people of color are denied, it also adds the community based struggle, and a place for them to feel welcomed and respected and to share their own struggles that oppression has put them under.
Afro-Caribbean dance dance is so powerful! It is so cool how dance can be powerful in so many different cultures!
The idea of using the traditional Afro-Caribbean past of dance to help people across all cultures is very interesting. The connection with nature is also interesting but simply makes sense. I love the idea that people can tap into their emotions and express themselves through dance and movement in a myriad of movements and contexts.
Understanding the effects of dance therapy is crucial, but what resonates even more is the realization that different dance styles possess their own distinct benefits. The speaker highlights the significance of Afro-Caribbean dance, which provides individuals with tools to establish connections, find meaning, and empower themselves due to its rich cultural heritage. This notion is truly captivating and impactful! The statement, "Dance aesthetics enable the body to engage, protect, and emancipate itself from oppressive ideologies," resonates deeply with me as it encapsulates the truth. Dancing serves as an incredible means to shed external influences and communicate one's inner self through physical movements.
I love how this video brings a new perspective and dynamic to DMT. I especially enjoyed hearing the different powers that are contained within each person: Collective Power, Socio-Political Power, and Spiritual Power. Not everyone may recognize that they have power at all, let alone with three distinct and useful powers. This video does an excellent job drawing the connection between how people use the environment around them, along with their body and use of movement, to find the power within them and to use that to carry their own identity.
Yes! That's what I picked up too. In my comment I touched on how dance therapy seemed like a separate entity but Maria showed that other influences can be brought in and combined to make the therapy more effective. I also loved how you talked about finding the power within people. It's funny how something that's always inside you can be hard to find. But, dance can help people find the power and demonstrate their own identity.
This ADTA talk was incredible! The connection to nature was something I found beautiful and relatable for people of all backgrounds.
Very interesting how she compared movements of nature to that of our bodies. Makes me realize even more how connected we are with nature.
Maria is doing wonderful work and its amazing she uses Dance movement therapy in order to do such great work for those who may need empowerment in some form. Being able to connect to your emotions and express your feelings without having judgement. The wonderful things that Dance movement therapy is able give to the world is outstanding.
The nonverbal communication that better relates to this video is the idea of how the efforts mad can connect with how they feel. The used a lot of strong efforts to show that there culture and excepting it is strong and beautiful. I thought it was so cool that a form of dance can be used to except your culture and reconnect to the values and respect that has been lacking within.
The power behind Afro-Caribbean Dance Healing is so moving. The illustration of some of the moves that Rivera used was very intriguing to me. I really enjoyed this talk!
I have never really thought about more than improv or lyrical dance when looking at dance and movement therapy, and this talk was eye opening regarding the use of Afro-Caribbean dance in dance and movement therapy. It gives clients the sense of connection, meaning, and power through culture and tradition, which is very powerful for many individuals.
I agree with this. When someone feels like they have more power and sense of tradition it can allow them to open up more without feeling that opening up is a requirement within DMT
This talk was especially powerful because it goes into great depth about the four powers of Afro-Caribbean dance, self-body power, collective power, sociopolitical power, and spiritual power. The power that impacted me the most as she talked was sociopolitical power, and how the client’s sociopolitical status can play a deep role in their feelings and emotions.
I like the idea that Maria could promote Afro-Caribbean dance to create a more diverse and culturally sensitive therapeutic principle. It is also inspiring to think that there are still many possibilities regarding the dance therapy.
I thought one very interesting point Rivera made was her point that a person's culture may appear as a part of their healing but it is important to be curious and mindful when reacting rather than to automatically joining in that expression. I also loved how she showed examples of movements while explaining them because they really helped me imagine the emotional power that those movements can have. Loved this video!
I agree. Watching her do the movements was incredible. I could never move my body like that so it was great to see an example of how a dance could be a symbolic image of a waterfall or something else.
What an interesting approach! I would never really have thought of different dance styles or techniques that could help heal different things. Using this therapy as a treatment for any type of discrimination is an amazing concept and gives clients a sense of empowerment and connection.
I think it is really important to remember that every person has a different culture, social surrounding, and political perspective. We must recognize this and be sensitive to who they are. By doing this, we can open ourselves more because we feel more understood as a person. I think the spirit does live within all of us and we must find it.
I agree. This lens of dance therapy is extremely exciting and important, but it is also crucial that dancers and therapist have knowledge of the dance form they are referring to and understand the backgrounds so that appropriation does not occur.
I like that she talks about another culture and how dance is used as a form of therapy in their community. It is great to see how dance is used to heal others when science wasn't really looked into at the time. It is also cool to see that they still use Afro-Caribbean Dance to heal others to this day
Connection. Meaning. Power. What wonderful choice of words to summarize this talk. The inspiring points continued to tie back to these words and really made me think. Collective expression as exhibited through Afro-Caribbean dance is something we should take beyond dance into our daily thoughts, conversations, and beings. As a woman from a dance background in mostly traditional, westernized movement, this talk made me crave instruction from a much wider array of cultures. Her short but powerful movements depicting liberation and ties to the wind and rivers were so captivating.
I loved Maria Rivera's commentary on the transformative powers of symbolic imagery. I am a very visual and auditory learner, and I really enjoy when certain music or things I see directly relate to the themes in my daily life. I also recognize that searching for meaning is a key component in introspection. Taking this internal dialogue and feeling free to express it externally through unrestrained body movements truly helps individuals represent their inner selves and construct a narrative where they are in control as director of their choices.
I love that the Afro-Caribbean dance therapy is based on community, culture and background. Using the roots of an individual can help them get in touch with their inner emotions and feel comfortable to express them because a safe space is established by using heritage and culture as a foundation for the movement healing process. My favorite movement that she brought to life was liberation movement. I think these movements can be seen in many folks from many backgrounds.
I also loved the part about movements that represent liberation and feel liberating; this is extremely powerful in the fact that it can heal many who feel trapped and unable to to communicate through words.
During Rivera's talk, the discussion of the embodiment of self-body power resonated with me. I loved the fact that in Afro-Caribbean dance, symbolism can express itself in movement through enacting motions of the forces of nature. This idea, therefore, is not exclusive, for everyone has had experiences with the motions of waters, the wind, the trees, etc. and can embody this movement. This, then, allows inclusive healing of people with diverse backgrounds through using movement and ones own body.
This video was also a wonderful reminder of inclusive actions towards, remembering our own biases when working with all people from different backgrounds, and being open-minded to other cultures for healing. Thank you for sharing.
Great video! I don't know much about Afro-Caribbean dance, but it was really interesting to hear about its relation to dance/movement therapy. It seems like a great style of dance for connecting people and creating empowerment through movement.
Great talk. When I move or dance, I do it randomly. But it is interesting to hear that specific movements and dances contain symbolic imagery.The fact that symbolic imagery can help others learn more about us or help us act out what we want is amazing. I have always though of dance movement therapy as a separate entity. But it is cool that it can be combined with other forms of dance or cultures to deepen the impact it has on clients.
This was also insightful. I never knew that certain movements, like downward hip rolls, could symbolize certain ideas such as fertility.
In our day-in-age right now the psychosocial effects of discrimination are very evident in our society. Discrimination has always been a problem in society and I really value how Maria combines movement with community creating a unifying and accepting environment. There is no wonder why this works- everyone just wants to feel a part of something. I really admire how Maria did lots of research so that she could apply her knowledge of DMT to all ethnic backgrounds as she mentioned.
I love this video! I think that it’s important that we have various ways of movement, not only in general, but in movement therapy as well. I enjoyed learning about the different movements that are incorporated in this type of movement therapy, and also the powers being spoken on. I loved this idea of collective power and how it brings all these individual voices together to create one voice. There’s this unity aspect of it that I really enjoy, that isn’t often seen or expressed. Through this type of movement therapy, I can see many people coming together to find this sense of power, structure and hopefulness in community. There’s something valuable and meaningful about coming together as a community and encouraging and sharing energy through movement. Utilizing gestures to acknowledge and make way for those around you, especially those you can relate to in culture. Overall, I really enjoy this idea of not only incorporating a diverse style, but also having groups of people spreading the power and hopefulness and whatever else is needed in that particular therapy session.
Personally, I believe that culture has a strong influence in people's lives. It plays multiple roles such as empowerment and liberation from limiting social constructs that are made by society. I enjoyed hearing that the idea that culture and tradition are used as tools to provide therapy to clients. As said, the Afro-Carribean dance can provide access to 4 levels of empowerment. Culture should be viewed as valuable assets rather than qualities that are frowned upon.
I think it's so interesting on her choice to use her Caribbean dance knowledge and combine it with Western dance therapy, and then being able to use it to relate to other people of color as well. I think that that is so essential in also making the connection with others on a cultural level and a therapy level.
I agree that mixing the two makes it extremely effective and is also very interesting. If I were to attend a dance therapy group session, I’d be very interested in Afro-Caribbean dance.
I agree. She does a great job connecting all aspects of dance therapy!
This video is especially interesting to me because it recognizes the power behind spiritual qualities and actions within a person, community, and society. It branches many gaps that are found within the healing process and highlights the importance of becoming in tune with one's own body. The rich sense and appreciation for culture also displays that unifying a society through dance and self empowerment is one of the greatest tools to use for healing. This video gave me a very different perspective on dance and movement therapy by emphasizing the importance of cultural roots.
The movements that she demonstrated are things that I recognize as powerful stances or movements that I have either utilized or seen/heard of being used to empower individuals. The union of tradition and therapy is something very interesting that could bring about beautiful results as it helps to heal parts of a person that may otherwise be unable to be reached.
Thank you Maria for sharing this rich information.
One of my questions for Mara would be in looking at the clients in a culturally sensitive lens how does intergenerational trauma affect therapy?
I am loving this! I love dancing and use it as a form of healing for myself. I have even danced with clients. However, I did not connect with it in the ways that Queen Maria has expressed. Blessings, Empress, thank you.
In this video Maria E. Rivera discuses how Afro-Caribbean Dance therapy can be a unique method of healing and empowerment. Afro-Caribbean dance therapy can be a healthy bridge to connect communities that historically have faced institutionalized racism with the beneficial healing of dance therapy. The self body power can activate healing energy that allows for the promotion of self confidence and self love. In conclusion, Afro-Caribbean dance healing can be a tremendous benefit for the community inspiring healthy emotional health.
I agree with your take on the talk. It is very important nowadays with depression and lack of self confidence being prominent that people can find an intervention to boost their view on themselves and learn to love themselves unconditionally.
I really loved this talk, and I especially appreciated the points made on collective and cultural healing. It's fascinating how dance can work to "reconstruct the narrative" as Maria called it, and how important it can be to establish a value in collective power and processing rather than just the individual.
I thought the same thing!
Ashe🌱!!
¡¡¡¡Si!!! Mara!!! ASE!!! Ayibobo!!!♥️♥️♥️🙌🏾
❤😊
This video presented Afro-Caribbean dance as an international treatment approach for specifically communities of color by incorporating therapeutic movements that are sensitive to different aspects that make them feel isolated from society, including religiously, economically, and culturally. It was a good demonstration on how individuals who struggle with identity, for example, can express themselves freely and without judgement, as well as move through their daily lives with confidence and be proud of the person they are.
it's interesting how different forms of dance can have different effects on clients. She uses tradition to focus on those four powers, some of which I had never considered before.
Right!! Some may not even realize that they need all four powers, but one cannot stand alone.
Ayibobo!
I am dying to tell my story!